"you gotta put in the work if you wanna get the results"... I've been working on a 5ft long gangbox. Live in central Illinois...wasn't able to touch it much over winter. Took a heat gun and scraper to it for days. Got er down to bare metal and some primer in spots. Wire brush on the angle grinder tomorrow. Brother has said since day one I should have just painted over it and called it good. But it looked like crap already. Another layer of paint on top of crap was just going to result in freshly painted crap. I'm happy I've taken the time...surface preparation is essential in painting, and any good painter would tell you the same. Stumbled across you here at 240am, from one of your homesteading/tiny home reels. Keep it up my guy. Good quality content.
When I used to drive a propane tanker in Texas, I used to deliver to dealer gas locations where a lot of their storage tanks were built in the 40s and 50s. I think the oldest one I came across was built in 1944. This was in 2016. Most of those old tanks that I came across did not have sight percentage gauges, but the old Roto spew gauges. I could turn the dial on that gauge and set it to 85% and then open up the bleeder on the gauge and I could watch when it got near full(90%) through my side mirrors as I was doing paperwork in my truck. I like them way better because you didn’t have to stand there and watch the gauge constantly.
4 parts to 1 part acetone with oil based rustoleum through a cheap harbor freight HVLP gun works great . Doesn't require a big compressor just for future reference. No criticism by any means love your content.
Hey buddy great video and awesome content! One thing to add but if you ever run into the holes situation again is fiberglass cloth and resin. This will cover the holes and last a long time. The bondo was a good idea it just has a harder time holding on actual holes without something under it. Overall definitely looks great compared to the start!
I would have had the tank inspected by whomever is responsible for filling it to see if it was worth doing all of that work first... I know that where I live, tanks (Gas Grille style) that are 12 years or older can't be filled without an inspection and stamp on the tank.
This guy has the knowledge & skills to do what he's doing & wherever he's living, he can and will fill it himself likely with no issues. 'Would only recommend this DIY to someone who has the knowledge & skills to do it.
Maximum safe lifespan for a propane tank is up to 30 years if its a proper galvanised one, cheap ones last about 20 years. Eventually that tank may simply fail or worse case, rupture. Yes some do last year to decades beyond the recommended life-time but keep in mind the following. Giving it a lick of paint does not change the use by of your tank, I would replace it with a new one as it could fail any time now. At the very least make sure it is a safe distance from your house and underground.
Thick piece of sheet metal glued over the holes area...with weld. You sanded and cleaned up the lid so it would have been just a quick weld. Still, fixing it like you did, as long as your patch is tolerant in every way...looks totally awesome! The tank looks brand new 👍.
Nice. Great job. I saw a RU-vid video where they were reconditioning an old propane tank, painted it in a couple shades of green to look like a giant watermelon. LOL
Looks like you got a great deal and now she looks really sweet, although you may have a problem. The people that fill propane tanks are taught to check the date before filling it, if it's too old they will refuse to fill it. I think it's 10 or 15 years or so, therefore, I would suggest hydro testing, and having it recertified before putting a lot of work into it. I used to work a lot with propane, and propane fuel systems.
From your video I could not tell how the finish turned out (except from a distance). Did you have 'orange peel,' roller marks, runs, etc? or did it look sprayed? Did you put on more than one coat of white?
Hmm, honestly I think this is one of things I believe you should buy used. I would have invested in a new one because you have no idea how much longer that old one well last. They have new tech in the new ones.
